WATERTOWN -- Four companies with local operations were recently named winners of MassEcon's 2013 Team Massachusetts Economic Impact Awards.

The awards recognize companies that make outstanding contributions to the state economy.

MassEcon, a nonprofit that serves as the state's private-sector partner in promoting Massachusetts, said in a press release that selections were made after site visits and a reception with their competitors and judges at the UMass Club with state Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Greg Bialecki.

Winners include:

* Red Hat Inc., a Raleigh, N.C.-based provider of open-source software. The company is more than doubling its operations in Westford, including a 100,000-square-foot building and adding up to 300 new employees. Red Hat earned a "Gold" award.

* E Ink, a developer of electronic paper that is used in the Kindle and Nook online reading products, recently moved its headquarters from Cambridge to a new and expanded space in Billerica. E Ink earned a "Silver" award.

* Saint-Gobain, a French-based building-materials company, expanded its Massachusetts presence by occupying about half of the vacant Evergreen Solar building in Devens, adding about 100 jobs. Saint-Gobain also earned a "Bronze" award.

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"MassEcon is proud to celebrate these companies for staying and growing here," said MassEcon Executive Director Susan Houston, in a statement. "We appreciate the commitment and and investment these companies have made in Massachusetts."

Fourteen companies were named statewide. Awards will be presented at a luncheon on Nov. 26 at the Renaissance Waterfront Hotel in Boston.

"It's especially gratifying to see growth in all regions of the state," Houston said.

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